3 Ways To Dry Bay Leaves - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Dry Bay Leaves PDF download Download Article Reviewed by Ben Barkan

Last Updated: March 10, 2025 Approved

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  • Harvesting Bay Leaves for Drying
    • |
  • Drying Bay Leaves Naturally
    • |
  • Drying Bay Leaves with a Dehydrator
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
    • |
  • Warnings
    • |
  • Things You'll Need
|Show more |Show less X

This article was reviewed by Ben Barkan. Ben Barkan is a Garden and Landscape Designer and the Owner and Founder of HomeHarvest LLC, an edible landscapes and construction business based in Boston, Massachusetts. Ben has over 12 years of experience working with organic gardening and specializes in designing and building beautiful landscapes with custom construction and creative plant integration. He is a Certified Permaculture Designer, Licensed Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts, and a Licensed Home Improvement Contractor. He holds an associates degree in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 20 testimonials and 100% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 329,788 times.

Bay leaves grow on a bay laurel tree, which can be found outdoors in the natural ground or planted in large containers (do not confuse with other laurels,whose leaves are poisonous). People cook with bay leaves in order to season their meats, sauces, soups and other hearty dishes. Bay leaves are also used in herbal remedies, to soothe inflammation and it has also been effective in keeping out weevils and other pests. When bay leaves are dried, they can be stored and used for up to a year. Dry bay leaves by picking and separating them, then leaving them in a well ventilated area that is warm and dry until all the moisture has evaporated.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Harvesting Bay Leaves for Drying

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  1. Step 1 Harvest bay leaves from plants that are at least 2 years old. 1 Harvest bay leaves from plants that are at least 2 years old.[1]
  2. Step 2 Pick leaves during the middle of summer. 2 Pick leaves during the middle of summer. The midsummer season allows bay leaves to produce their oils more abundantly, making harvesting easier. Advertisement
  3. Step 3 Take the bay leaves off the trees in the morning, after the dew has evaporated. 3 Take the bay leaves off the trees in the morning, after the dew has evaporated. This will ensure your leaves do not wilt.
    • Detach the bay leaves gently from the trees. You do not want to bruise them.[2]
  4. Step 4 Choose leaves that are healthy and undamaged. 4 Choose leaves that are healthy and undamaged. You should pick the largest leaves that are available, as these will have the strongest flavor and fragrance.
    5. Advertisement
Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Drying Bay Leaves Naturally

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  1. Step 1 Rinse the bay leaves under a cool, gentle stream of water. 1 Rinse the bay leaves under a cool, gentle stream of water. Shake off the water and pat them with a paper towel to dry.
  2. Step 2 Place paper towels on a baking sheet. 2 Place paper towels on a baking sheet. Make sure you have enough paper towels to cover the sheet, but you do not need more than a single layer.
  3. Step 3 Spread the bay leaves onto the paper towels. 3 Spread the bay leaves onto the paper towels. Do not put leaves on top of one another; they should be separate and have their own space.
  4. Step 4 Leave the bay leaves in a warm, dry room that has plenty of ventilation. 4 Leave the bay leaves in a warm, dry room that has plenty of ventilation. They should not be in direct light of any kind.
  5. Step 5 Allow the leaves to dry for 2 weeks. 5 Allow the leaves to dry for 2 weeks. You can flip them once during the 2 week period to ensure each side dries evenly.
  6. Step 6 Notice whether there is any remaining moisture left in the leaves. 6 Notice whether there is any remaining moisture left in the leaves. If they are still dark green in spots or soft, they may need 1 more week to dry.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Drying Bay Leaves with a Dehydrator

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  1. Step 1 Pre-heat your dehydrator to 95 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 46 degrees Celsius). 1 Pre-heat your dehydrator to 95 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 46 degrees Celsius).[3]
    • Set the heat level higher depending on the area you live in. Places with high humidity, such as Florida, will need a higher dehydrator setting.
  2. Step 2 Rinse the bay leaves under a cool, gentle stream of water. 2 Rinse the bay leaves under a cool, gentle stream of water. Shake off the water and pat them with a paper towel to dry.
  3. Step 3 Arrange the herbs on dehydrator trays, in a single layer. 3 Arrange the herbs on dehydrator trays, in a single layer. Place the trays in the dehydrator and allow them to dry for 1 to 4 hours.[4]
  4. Step 4 Check the instruction booklet that came with your dehydrator for any other instructions. 4 Check the instruction booklet that came with your dehydrator for any other instructions.
  5. Step 5 Check the bay leaves periodically. 5 Check the bay leaves periodically. You will know they have completed drying when they begin to curl or crumble and the stems start to split.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question Can I dry them in the oven? Community Answer Community Answer Yes, you can, but you need to dry them on a low temperature, or use the drying mode on your oven if your model has one. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 7 Helpful 48
  • Question Can I dry bay leaves in a microwave? Community Answer Community Answer That's not a good method for drying them. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 10 Helpful 29
  • Question Do I have to wash the bay leaves first? Community Answer Community Answer Yes, in a way. You should blanch them in boiling water to remove the slippery film off the leaf before drying. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 32 Helpful 39
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Video

Tips

  • Remember that dried herbs are much stronger than fresh herbs. When you are using bay leaves in accordance with a recipe, remember to adjust the amount you use if your recipe calls for fresh bay leaves and you decide to use your dried bay leaves. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
  • Store your dried bay leaves in an airtight container such as a plastic bag with a seal or a jar. As long as you keep them out of sunlight in a temperature between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 24 degrees Celsius), they will be good for up to 1 year. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
  • Try drying bay leaves in a microwave oven when you only need a few leaves and you do not want to wait to dry a whole batch. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Do not dry your bay leaves outside in the sun. This will cause discoloration of the leaves and the herbs will lose their flavor. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
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Things You'll Need

  • Baking sheet
  • Paper towels
  • Dehydrator

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References

  1. ↑ https://thegardeningcook.com/bay-leaf-plants-growing-bay-laurel/
  2. ↑ https://www.thehomesteadgarden.com/the-spice-series-bay-leaves-how-to-grow/
  3. ↑ https://canningdiva.com/dehydrating-bay-leaves/
  4. ↑ https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/herbs.html

About This Article

Ben Barkan Reviewed by: Ben Barkan Garden & Landscape Designer This article was reviewed by Ben Barkan. Ben Barkan is a Garden and Landscape Designer and the Owner and Founder of HomeHarvest LLC, an edible landscapes and construction business based in Boston, Massachusetts. Ben has over 12 years of experience working with organic gardening and specializes in designing and building beautiful landscapes with custom construction and creative plant integration. He is a Certified Permaculture Designer, Licensed Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts, and a Licensed Home Improvement Contractor. He holds an associates degree in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. This article has been viewed 329,788 times. 1 votes - 100% Co-authors: 6 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 329,788 Categories: Herbs and Spices Article SummaryX

To dry bay leaves, place paper towels in a single layer on a baking sheet and spread the bay leaves onto the paper towels. Leave the bay leaves for 2 weeks in a warm, dry room with plenty of ventilation, flipping them once during that period. If you prefer, you can place them in a dehydrator instead. Rinse the bay leaves in cool water and pat them dry with a paper towel, then place them in a single layer into the dehydrator. Let them dry for 1-4 hours, with the dehydrator heated to between 95° and 115°F. Keep reading to learn how to harvest bay leaves! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Sunny Nestler

    Sunny Nestler

    Feb 14, 2018

    "The pictures are very helpful! I'm going to try both drying naturally and dehydrating. One of my favorite..." more
More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Ben Barkan Reviewed by: Ben Barkan Garden & Landscape Designer Co-authors: 6 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 329,788 100% of readers found this article helpful. 1 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote Sunny Nestler

Sunny Nestler

Feb 14, 2018

"The pictures are very helpful! I'm going to try both drying naturally and dehydrating. One of my favorite..." more Merthyr Stevens

Merthyr Stevens

Mar 10, 2019

"Having recently purchased two bay laurel trees and being unsure how to prepare the leaves for use in cooking, I..." more Kathi Prochotsky

Kathi Prochotsky

Jun 6, 2016

"Great to have pictures with the text. Great to have details like "pick the largest leaves because they have..." more Lynn Barnes

Lynn Barnes

May 27, 2016

"Extremely helpful. Initially I was intending to place fresh bay leaves in my pot of Italian sauce as I was..." more Maureen Chenoweth

Maureen Chenoweth

Feb 8, 2019

"It was great to have all of the possible methods of drying. Also appreciated the warning about other laurel..." more Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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